How life has changed in Cannock Chase

Cannock Chase's population increased by about 5,300 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population passed 97,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Cannock Chase increased by 5.8%, from about 92,100 to 97,500.

The addition of just over 5,300 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Cannock Chase was home to, on average, 8.8 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the West Midlands

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the West Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Cannock Chase

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Cannock Chase increased by three years, from 37 to 40 years.

This area had a slightly higher average age than the West Midlands and became slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just under 3,400 people between the ages of 40 and 49 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 3,000.

About 16.0% of people in Cannock Chase are aged between 40 and 49 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Cannock Chase by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in considerably limiting disability

The percentage of Cannock Chase residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.9% to 5.0% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 7.1%, while the percentage of Cannock Chase residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 89.0% to 87.9%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased faster here than in any other local authority district across the West Midlands. As a result, this area had the region’s third highest proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability in Cannock Chase increased by 1.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Cannock Chase, the West Midlands and England that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer married people

Cannock Chase saw the West Midlands' second-largest fall in the proportion of married people.

In 2011, just under one in two (49.6%) people aged 16 and over in Cannock Chase said they were married, compared with 55.7% in 2001. The percentage that said they were single increased from 26.2% to 31.2%.

Across the region, only Worcester saw a greater fall in the proportion of married people (from 51.0% to 44.7%).

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a fall in the proportion of married people, as the regional average fell from 52.4% to 47.7%.

The proportion of married people was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

Cannock Chase saw the West Midlands' joint largest rise in the proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care, alongside Wyre Forest.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.2%) in Cannock Chase reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 2.5% in 2001. The percentage that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.4% to 1.8%.

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a rise in the proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care, as the regional average grew from 2.3% to 2.7%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Cannock Chase remained close to 3.2%

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Cannock Chase by care, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Cannock Chase

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Cannock Chase was among those who said they had no religion, rising 13.0 points.

In 2011, 25.2% of respondents in Cannock Chase gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 12.2% of those who answered in 2001.

Across the West Midlands, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion and described themselves as having no religion increased from 13.3% to 23.5%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Cannock Chase, 73.6% said they were Christian, compared with 87.0% in 2001. About 0.3% said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, compared with 0.2% a decade prior.

In Cannock Chase, 6.1% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 7.2% in 2001. Across the West Midlands, 6.6% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as differing patterns of ageing or of moving to or from an area for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population that said they had no religion in Cannock Chase increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, West Midlands and Cannock Chase by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Cannock Chase that rented privately increased from 5.0% to 12.1% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over one in six (16.9%) households lived in social housing, compared with 19.2% in 2001. The percentage of Cannock Chase households that owned their home decreased from 73.3% to 69.1%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 7.2% in 2001 to 14.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Private renting in Cannock Chase increased by 7.1 percentage points

Percentage of households in Cannock Chase, the West Midlands and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Cannock Chase residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 10.2% to 6.8% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (78.8%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 66.9% in 2001. The percentage of Cannock Chase residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22.9% to 14.5%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 9.7% in 2001 to 6.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Cannock Chase decreased by 3.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Cannock Chase, the West Midlands and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Cannock Chase working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 14.3% to 10.9% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just under 1 in 40 (2.4%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.3% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 12.5% in 2001 to 9.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13.0% to 10.1%.

Long hour working in Cannock Chase decreased by 3.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Cannock Chase, the West Midlands and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Families in Cannock Chase

The percentage of households with children fell in Cannock Chase at a faster rate than in Walsall (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Cannock Chase).

In Cannock Chase, the proportion of households with children decreased from 33.2% in 2001 to 30.7% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Walsall decreased from 32.3% to 32.0%.

Across the West Midlands, the share of households with children decreased from 30.7% to 30.2%.

The proportion of households without children in Cannock Chase increased from 55.9% to 58.0%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents remained close to 11.3%.

The proportion of households with children was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of households with at least one dependent child across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

More people living alone

The percentage of one-person households increased in Cannock Chase at a faster rate than across England.

In Cannock Chase, the proportion of one-person households increased from 24.7% in 2001 to 26.9% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 30.2% to 30.3%.

Across the West Midlands, the share of one-person households increased from 28.8% to 29.5%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Cannock Chase increased from 10.4% to 12.6%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 43.7% to 37.3%.

The percentage of households with only one person was lower than across the West Midlands

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Cannock Chase residents that were unemployed increased from 3.1% to 4.6% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under 6 in 10 (55.1%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 56.5% in 2001. The percentage of Cannock Chase residents that were self-employed increased from 7.4% to 8.7%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 3.8% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Cannock Chase increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Cannock Chase, the West Midlands and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Cannock Chase

In 2011, 97.7% of Cannock Chase residents said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, making it the most common ethnicity in this local authority area. The population from these groups has increased from 98.6% in 2001.

Across the West Midlands, the percentage of people from one of the White ethnic groups decreased from 88.7% to 82.7%, while across England the percentage went from 90.7% to 85.1%.

Around 1.0% of people in Cannock Chase said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, compared with 0.7% in 2001. About 0.9% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 0.4% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from 0.2% to 0.3%.

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as differing patterns of ageing or of moving to or from an area for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from one of the White ethnic groups in Cannock Chase remained close to 97.7%

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Cannock Chase by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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